GIANTS!..and Ads!

The Super Bowl is over, thankfully with a good outcome for the NY Giants, but that will not be my topic of conversation for this post.

Since there were so many Ad Spots, I thought that I would go through 10, giving each a letter grade, and writing a few comments.

1. GoDaddy.com- F. These ads never have any substance. Its always just half naked girls, which I guess gets attention of the guys, but who actually even cares. They don’t talk about their product or show you anything.
2. Honda- B. With “Matthew’s Day off” I think this may have been a good concept if they executed it more. The whole thing seemed boring to me.
3. Anheuser-Busch- A. I especially loved that they introduced their new “Bud Platinum”. Great strategy, reaching millions of your target at one time. The Budweiser spots with the history theme were beautifully done and gave the feeling of emotion.
4. Cars.com. D. Why did that guy have two heads?
5. Chrysler- A. I do give this ad an A because it was beautifully done, it appealed to emotion and kept the audience waiting. However, this could have been a political commercial and still would have worked. It was not really tailored for Chrysler, but it was still great to watch.
6. Coca-Cola- B. Never thought I would give Coke a B, but I thought they could have been more creative. Sometimes I found myself asking, “What’s going on?” However, the ads did grab attention and were fun to watch, and the bears were adorable.
7. GE- A. Specifically the spot titled “Power and Beer”. This worked well because the spoke right to the audience that was watching and related their product that may sometimes go off the radar, to something that the audience loves. Great commercial.
8. GM- A. The Silverado spot the post apocalyptic story line. Great play on what everyone is talking about for the year 2012. However, what spoke to me about this ad was that it was also an ad for Twinkies. Great tactic, which I have never really seen before.
9. Mars- A. M&M spot! Best commercial I have seen in years! Hilarious, witty, and reached everyone in the room! This was a completely different angle than what I had originally expected from this company. Great advertising. I hope I can make ads like this one-day.
10. Telaflora- A. Even though it was based on sex appeal, it worked perfectly for this company. The ad gave the exact message that it needed to and I think that it was extremely effective.

Over all I think that the Super Bowl commercials have been better in the past. Though some I really enjoyed, as a group, they lacked excitement and creativity.  (To watch all of the Super Bowl commercials click here!)

Congrats to the New York Football Giants, you are the best in the world.

Super Bowl Anticipation

The Super Bowl is alway’s one of the best, if not the best, days of the year for advertising. I wanted to write a pre-bowl post just to get some thoughts out about the ads.

Even though I try not to watch, or read about and teasers for these new ads. (That may be the wrong decision, because I am suppose to be knowledgeable and keep up with all of this, but I like the element of surprise. However, I do make up for it by reading everything possible about the ads the day after.) I do want to comment on a few things.

So based on that, I am only going to talk about (list) the little that I have heard by accident, and make predictions based on last years ads.

1. I think that the M&M’s spot is going to catch a lot of people off guard. Even though they have been doing a great job with hype, using billboards and social media. I still think that there will be a shock factor.
2. Honda will be doing some sort of parody on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This will be interesting to see, not only how they execute it, but if it will be successful or not.
3. I am hoping that Apple throws something cool at us.
4. Coke is always a wonder to watch and I find myself mesmerized with everything that they do. So I am looking forward to their creations this year.
5. GE will be participating this year, and I am particularly interested in what they have to say, and how they are going to say it.

Not only is this years Super Bowl exciting for me because of the ads, the New York Giants have made it to the game. Being a fan of the team and the ads, I find my self wondering when I will have time to leave the TV.

I look forward to my post-bowl post, to share my likes, dislikes and comments about the 2012 ads.

GO BIG BLUE!

Ms. Brown?

After years of hiding behind the company, the “Chief Chocolate Officer” at M&M’s is reviling her face. Huffington Post describes her as “an intelligent woman with a sharp wit”.

"Strange how people are just finding out now that there's been a Chief Chocolate Officer all these years. Did people think that M&M'S just managed themselves? – Ms. Brown"

Her name is Ms. Brown and she is the newest character in the M&M’s family. She is the second female character in this line following Ms. Green, and the date of her anticipated revile will be during the Superbowl on February 5th 2012. Like her fellow M&M’s she will have her own distinct characteristics and personality.

Ms. Brown is already busy reaching out to fans on her Twitter page and the official M&M’s Facebook page. The other colors are also taking about them on their official M&M’s site.

I think that the way M&M’s is reviling their new character is great. This is a very original way of creating buzz and anticipation about the event. the concept of the character “Ms. Brown” must not have been very difficult for the company, but making her stand out from the rest of the colors was the main challenge.

The story that is emerging that goes along with this character, “Chief Chocolate Officer” makes her mysterious because it is as if she has been around this whole time, and no one knew about her. She is already important, she is already established, but we are just learning about her.

No one ever has created a character that has already existed for years, and her revile at the Superbowl may be the one I am looking forward to the most.

Google+

Social media seems to be growing every day. It seems that everyone in the world has a Facebook account, a Twitter, Linked In, Tumblr, WordPress, Foursqure, etc. Which makes it easy to share, talk, and locate everyone at all times.

Google+ is of the newest to join the social world. but what makes them different from all of the other sites out there? Why should someone make an account with Google when they already have all of the other accounts.

Google, has the answer to that question, and it is found in their ad..

Google uses their ad time to tell the audience how Google can better their life, how to be more efficient and use the tools on the Internet to their advantage.

This ad makes the viewer want to sign on and see what it is all about because it looks more personal than the other sites, for one, it actually is telling you why they can help in an Ad. Many, if not all other social sites have no Ad time on the Television at all.

Google always seems to grab the audience in a way that no one else can. They use experiences and feelings of real humans to connect with their audience. I think that this works. Commercials, and Ads that relate to someone are the best out there, the ones that make you feel something while looking at it or viewing it.

To me Google has done some of the best advertising out there, and as such a large company and search engine they do not necessarily need it, I think Google advertises just to keep their message strong, and to remind everyone that they can help with anything.

 

Cyber Monday

We all know that Black Friday is the best day to get the hottest deals in all of the stores. However, many people forget that you can get just about every one of those deals online, on the following Monday. This day is known as Cyber Monday.

Even though this is the best day online for deals, it is built up by countless emails (spam) in your inbox. This year the email rates increased. According to research done by email firm Responsys this Cyber Monday was expected to bring in the largest email marketing.

Countless click and mortar stores as well as click only retailers have sent out numerous emails to their consumers alerting them about the deals.

Most of the emails come in through the night or early morning which is a tactic done by marketers, knowing that you will atleast glance at them when you wake.

I think that all of the emails get annoying. It gets to the point where they don’t even get opened and are deleted before even seeing what they have in store. When I have six new emails when I wake up in the morning, all of them get deleted. However, I am not in the market for buying new things. I would image someone who was shopping for a television or any product even, if they saw a discount in their email, they would investigate more.

I think that the tactic of trying to reach people and get the word out about their deals, showing that they may be better than the other stores is great. However, when everyone on the web and in the shopping centers are doing it, nothing really stands out from the crowd, its just a block of unwanted emails on the verge of being deleted.

 

(Source)

 

 

Target

Her name is Maria Bamford, and she is the brain child of Wieden + Kennedy. She came onto the scene last year to promote Target’s Black Friday sales, and she is back again this year with much more to say. This year Target, along with Wieden + Kennedy, placed 12 new spots on the Internet and on television.

The video spots play on the craziness of Black Friday, the viewer is shown many scenes from Maria’s preparation for the “holiday”. This years ads give the audience a little more depth to the personality of the character  of Maria Bamford. We see her going to extreme lengths to prepare for this “wonderful” time of the year.

Maria is the worlds biggest fan of Christmas and won’t let anyone get in her way to make the holiday the best that it can be. The spots show her working out, giving advice on decorating and giving gifts. Although this may seem innocent the way it is all executed and presented is priceless.

I think that these creatives are perfect, they play on the mayhem that goes on during Black Friday and use it to their advantage. They have created a profile of the most extreme shopper on this day and made her come to life in a comical and attention getting way.

 

I think that these spots are hilarious and the fact that they have added so many makes you interested to see more of them, which grabs the attention to viewers everywhere.

 

Click here to watch the ads.

 

Best Fries on the Planet

McDonalds, along with the help of Leo Burnett have created a billboard that has become an attraction.

In downtown Chicago, a billboard, colored and shaped like the packaging of McDonalds fries is sending yellow “fry” life beacons of light up into the sky. it is visible for about 3 miles around its actual location. The billboard is part of the campaign entitled “Best Fries on the Planet” which is regionally executed.

The searchlights that are colored golden resemble those that were placed after 9/11 in tribute. However, this is a tribute to McDonalds, and will reach those who are hungry for miles, beckoning them to their restaurant.

I think that this billboard is one of the most creative I have ever seen. It attractions multitudes of attention and creates buzz. Even if someone does not eat McDonald’s they can’t help but talk about this scene with their friends. This is a great way to show “tribute” to their famous fries, and letting everyone know how special they are, certainly unlike any other out there.

I think that what McDonald’s and Leo Burnett have done is not raise awareness of the company, because that is not needed. I think that they have rejuvenated the image by showing a modern and creative show for their consumers.

(Source)

Billboard in Chicago

Hungry? Have some…Candy?

Last year Snickers caught the attention of viewers during the Super Bowl, using Betty White in one of their spots. The idea behind it was that you “aren’t yourself when you’re hungry.” The character in the ad was given a Snickers bar to relieve his hunger so that he could play his football game to his best ability, and not like an old women.

This was not only successful in that Snickers used humor to get attention to their brand but they also opened their product to not only just a candy bar, but a quick snack in between meals.

The campaign was successful and further commercials used various other celebrities to get the message across. However, the fact that Snickers was now selling themselves as a snack bar, also was successful. But why did they chose to go this direction with their candy?

I think that it is because many people don’t want to just eat candy anymore, because of the health craze. Snickers realized this and used it to their advantage. They decided not to play on their sweet or savory side, or to “treat” yourself to some candy. They told the audience its OK to have a snickers, because your hungry and you need it, for energy.

I have also noticed that the Pay Day bar is now playing on the aspect of being a snack bar, instead of candy. Claiming that they are “The sweet taste of energy.”

This seems to be a new trend of candy bars, playing on their not so candy side, and letting people know that its OK to eat them because your body is asking for it.

1984

We all have read, or at least heard of George Orwell’s novel entitled 1984. Big Brother watches over everyone and tells us what is right and what is wrong, and dictates how our day to day life would be. This was Orwell’s vision of the future, back before the year 1984 occurred.

Steve Jobs had a very different view of what the future would look like, and some could argue, the future, meaning present day, looks the way it does because of Steve Jobs. You cannot go out for a walk without seeing someone with some kind of apple product in their possession.

Some may say that Apple has become sort of a “Big Brother” because it is so prevalent in our lives, and it is apparent that Apple has a sort of cult following. Apple tells us what is cool and what is not, what we need our computers to do for us, and dictates how we access information.

However, Apple and Orwell relate directly because in 1984, Apple released their first ad. It was aired only once, during the January Super Bowl, but had huge impact.

This was the beginning of their campaign, that would in some ways change the world. They used images and ideas from the novel 1984, and urged viewers to realize why Apple is going to make 1984 noting like 1984. It hinted at the PC who were depicted in the commercial as those who were following big brother, and the  Mac user was the one who broke the cycle.

I think that this ad was such a ground breaker because it was something no one had ever seen before. It also got a Apple’s message across, quickly, indirectly, creatively and recognizably. Though it is nothing like their current ads which show just a product, it still is relevant today, in that the big idea to “Think Differently” is very much a part of everything that Apple stands for.

Swiffer

The new Swiffer commercials which feature the “dust” and “mud” people to me are very creative and effective.

The past campaign using old dingy mops and brooms lurking around the corner like an old ex, backed by breakup songs was not as versatile as the newest campaign.

The ads feature a tiny “person” who is actually mud, dirt, dust, or a film you need to clean up. They all tell a story that no one is good enough for them and they are happy where they are, until something comes up above them. That something being a product from the Swiffer line.

These ads are comical, and get the point across, Swiffer is going to clean your surfaces better than anything else that you attempt to use. I also think that this creative is effective because they can use the same concept for all of their products in their line.

Swiffer Wet Jet, Swiffer Duster, Swiffer Sweeper, are all used to attract a different dust person.

However, after looking at the Swiffer website, the campaign does not seem to carry onto their digital space. Nor does it show up on their facebook page. I think that the campaign is useful, however, after everything that I have learned in college, it is important to be consistent on all platforms. It is also especially to have a good online presence. However, they do have a substantial following.

Swiffer to me is doing a great job with their ads however, I would hype up the online existence a little more, They offer coupons on their website and other information that could be useful, and they don’t really let the audiences know about it. I think that would be beneficial to their brand.